There is an ever increasing demand for wireless communications air link resources as more devices include wireless interfaces, new types of information are being communicated wirelessly, and users desire to be able to have wireless access at any location. In response to this increasing demand for wireless communications resources, service providers are moving toward high density deployments of base stations. For example, many small cell base stations are being added by service providers at outdoor locations to supplement large cell base stations.
High density deployments of base stations may require at least some base stations to be deployed with directional antennas to isolate interference as a means to improve signal to noise ratio (SNR), which in turn translates into better user experience for voice and video application. Typically, when a system is designed which includes base stations in a high density deployment, each base station and/or base station antenna is designed to be mounted at a specific location with a specific mounting orientation, e.g., a specific down tilt and azimuth (direction). The system provider typically relies on construction teams to install the base station at the correct location, to mount the base station in the correct orientation, and to provide feedback via pictures and/or comments. This information supplied by the construction team needs to be stored, maintained and over time updated with changes.
One problem with the current approach of deploying new base stations is that there is no low cost effective way to ensure that a deployment of a base station is effective, accurate and devoid of errors. It may be difficult to verify via pictures that the mounting orientation is correct within the deployment plan tolerances. It would be costly and time consuming to have to send out an evaluation team to verify that each installed base station was correctly deployed in accordance with the deployment plan. Many of these deployed base stations may not be easily accessible, e.g., because of mounting height, to access directly, and it may involve extensive test measurements to map the coverage area of each base station via ground measurements with a communications device and then evaluate the deployment installation status indirectly. In addition, an incorrectly deployed base station may interfere with other base stations in the same region. In situations where multiple new base stations are deployed concurrently it may not be obvious as to which one of the newly deployed was incorrectly installed.
Based on the above discussion there is a need for new methods and apparatus to evaluate base station installations and/or to control base station configuration.